Cinco Charlie to face five in Mine That Bird Derby

Trainer Steve Asmussen said Cinco Charlie is scheduled to start in the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland Park in New Mexico on Saturday. The multiple stakes winner drew post 5 in a field of six for the 1 1/16-mile race. Casey Lambert has the mount on the horse, who is owned by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt.

Cinco Charlie picked up the fifth stakes win of his career in last month’s Riley Allison Derby, a Sunland race repositioned from its traditional December date to January.

Others making up the Mine That Bird Derby field include Rockinatten, who in his last start was third to the well-regarded Prospect Park in an allowance at Santa Anita. Drayden Van Dyke has the mount for trainer Doug O’Neill.

The Mine That Bird Derby is the final local steppingstone to the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Park Derby on March 22.

Sunland puts on its prep for the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks, the Island Fashion Stakes, on Sunday. It drew a field of eight fillies. The Sunland Park Oaks will share a card with the Sunland Park Derby.